Indomitable Golems
The Indomitable Golems are a mostly Codex complient Space Marine Chapter, hailing from the proud Imperial Fists, however this is only known due to the lack of the Betcher's Gland and Sus-an Membrane as they are of the mysterious 13th Founding. Short of their lineage and the Chapters famous bad luck in its early years, the Indomitable Golems are almost unknown in the annuls of Imperial history. However, they have earned quite the reputation as relentless fighters, living up to their name as stout defenders of any ground blessed by their footfalls, and as an inevitable juggernaut that hails utter annihilation to the foes of the Emperor. The Indomitable Golems are rarely seen and even more rarely called upon, but when they are the foes of the Imperium are most certainly doomed, for the Golems have never in their long history left a battlefield with any trace of their foe left alive. They will fight to the last with a will that is astonishing even for a Space Marine. Beyond fanatical in their devotion to their Emperor and their beloved Primarch Rogal Dorn, the Indomitable Golems are without a doubt loyal, however the Inquisition often finds their strange, animistic beliefs and creed odd to say the least. As is part of the Indomitable Golems Stone Cult, they hold Imperial fortifications sacred, and often pay homage to inanimate things such as walls and fortresses. For the Golems there is something sacred about steel and stone, and they consider the land they defend as blessed by the Emperor's divine will. The Indomitable Golems are more or less pure in their Gene-Seed, though reports of their above average size and endurance has raised some eyebrows (or their mechanical equivalents) amongst the Magos Biologis. The average Indomitable Golem stands at least nine feet tall though the largest ever recorded, Degzar Grimrok, stood at twelve feet tall. As for endurance, a combination of fanatic will and above average pain tolerance even for a Space Marine, makes it very hard to bring a Golem down. Overall these mutations are minor at best and are not indicative of Chaos Corruption. History Founding The Indomitable Golems were part of the 13th or Dark Founding, and thus their purpose and early history is lost to time, never to be found again. However what is known is that only one hundred years after their founding, the whole Chapter seemed to vanish. For at least three hundred years they were believed dead, but then, in M39 they reappeared in the Galatic East, fending off Orks and Chaos Warbands from nearby sectors. The Odyssey The Chapter told the rather suspicious Inquisition that they had been caught in a freak Warp Storm on their way to their newly assigned homeworld and were lost to the Warp for what seemed to them like four hellish weeks. The Chapter lost many good men and were assailed on all sides by daemons, Chaos Marines, and other entitles to foul to identify. But they stayed strong and the fire of their faith only burned brighter in the madding darkness. Eventually their Chief Navigator, Oculus Tabrin of the Tabrin Navigator House, found a way to save the fleet, at the cost of his own life. When the Chapter finally reconnected with the rest of the Imperium, and after rigorous purity testing, they returned Oculus' body to his House on Terra and pledged an oath of loyalty to the Navigators, in honor of Oculus Tabrin's sacrifice the Indomitable Golems would always have a force of Marines protect the Houses Navigators and holdings on Terra. The Black Mountain The Indomitable Golems soon arrived at their homeworld of Gronn and for the first time set foot on that harsh and rugged world. They were impressed and found the people of the planet to be ideal for their Chapter. They took over an ancient and abandoned fortress that was one with the planets tallest mountain, a formation that dwarfed Mars' Olympus Mons by hundreds of feet. This fortress once belonged to a mighty kingdom that ruled the planet, until the cataclysmic Beast Wars, in which it is believed that Orks invaded the planet and though they were driven off the fortress was left depopulated. Once the Chapter cleared out the rubble and skeletons, they became officially active. 23rd Calipsian Expansion The Chapter was soon called away from its homeworld, after it had built up sufficient numbers and more or less recovered from the horrid warp crucible the Chapter had suffered. An Inquisitor pleaded for the Chapters assistance in battling a great and deadly foe, one that could, if left unchecked, overrun the whole Segmentum Ultima, The Calipsian Hordes. All available forces were mustered for this counter-crusade, though surely, the Indomitable Golems were completely unprepared, never had they fought against beasts such as the Feral Legions. The Chapter took heavy losses, but formed a close bond with the mighty Devout Vanguards, resourceful Equalizers, and deadly Thunder Lances. Together with forces of the Inquisition, Imperial Guard, and Imperial Navy, they pushed the Hordes back, though they could never retake the sixteen planets that had been seized in the opening years of the expansion. After the war had been won the Indomitable Golems returned to their solitude, but not before giving their ardent thanks and making oaths of brotherhood to their fellow Space Marines who fought alongside them. To this day the bond between these four Chapters is close and nigh unbreakable. War of Tristan The ancient Shrine World of Tristan was a world of holy temples and labyrinthine cathedrals, a world of faith and loyalty beyond all. But that came into jeopardy when the forces of WAAAGH! Krushfoot struck the sector with the force of a battering ram. Entire worlds were drowned in the green tide, and all resistance mounted before them was crushed and swept aside. That is, until a lone Strike Cruiser came to Tristan. The WAAAGH! was but a week away from the system, and many upon the Shrine World had given up hope. Nothing it seemed, could stem the green tide, and that soon this bastion of faith would be overrun as quickly as every fortress before it. But hope came in the shape of the great blue mountain badge of the Indomitable Golems. The Second Stone, lead by aging Earl Gregory Phaz, made planet fall. Their arrival was heralded with mixed feelings from the population. Many had their hope restored, for there was no force in the universe that could best the Emperor's Angels of Death! But many more had heard firsthand from the dying lips of refugees that had fled their homes. Many more knew the might of WAAAGH! Krushfoot. Even with the legendary reputation of the Astartes, what could a mere one hundred of them do against a force numbering in the millions? Upon their arrival the Astartes began working on their fortifications, and, with the aide of the faithful, the already impressive houses of worship were made into fortresses worthy of Dorn himself. The masterworks of the Second Stone's Mason, Hargran Frell, were apparent to the people. With the added numbers of the Shrine Worlds Fraternis Militia, and the forces of Tristan's holy PDF, there was finally hope. When WAAAGH! Krushfoot came, it was met with the full might of the Tristan systems local Navy. Though they could not hope to defeat the Orks massive fleet, with the assistance of the Strike Cruiser Dauntless, ''they could stem the tide. The Ork fleet was ravaged by the skilled defense set up by the Indomitable Golems, and the ships lost by the local fleet was far less than the total slaughter that would have come without their assistance. But of course, to Warboss Krushfoot, the fleet was a minor annoyance to his swarming fleet. For every rokk or krooza blasted into oblivion, there were thousands more to take their place. He lead his fleet forward, almost ignoring the space borne defenders. The Shrine World would be Krushfoot's prize. It would be the world he ruled his newly conquered empire from, for its churches and spires would be ideal places for his banner to fly high above the smoke and rubble of the burning hab-blocks and piles of torched scripture. When the Orkz made planet fall, they expected little more but scared PDF or even guardsmen. But when the first convoys of Orkish infantry and armor approached the walls of the city of Harrad on the eastern continent, they were met with something else. Great cannons, mounted on recently built city walls, rained death and ruin upon their forces as the approached over the open fields that surrounded the settlement. Mines and mortars took a bloody toll from their ranks. And weapons fire from the ramparts ranged from the humble stub round to the brutal bolt, all of it well directed. The invaders never even breached the walls. And so the scenario was repeated all over Tristan, with entire armies devastated before they could even reach the walls. However, as more and more Orkz arrived on the world, the cities began to fall. One by one, the Orkz overran the cities. But for every victory the Orkz payed dearly. It was said that every street in every city was so littered with Ork bodies that the green could be seen from orbit. The smell of rotting Ork seemed to permeate the whole planet as the five month long war raged on. Finally, there was only one city left Siege of Grandeur An action of revenge taken against the Adeptus Mechanicus population of the Forge-World, The Forge World of Grandeur was brutally assailed by the vile Necrons of the Estomik Dynasty. Across the entire planet warfare was street by street and no solid front could be established, a failure of the Imperials that the Estomik utilized to the fullest extent. Traps, ambushes and horrors only a machine or Dark Eldar could conjure were visited upon the unfortunate guardians of the Imperial forge. In orbit above the world the Estomik fleet dominated the weaker Imperial forces. A small flotilla of Harvest Class ships broke through the imperial lines depositing the first waves of Estomik upon the planet surface. From there Imperial forces found themselves struggling to hold the line against the swifter and horrendously more powerful Necron vessels. Leading this fleet was Namesor Xennion, his navel tactics placing the Imperials on a perpetual back-foot. A full week after the Necron first appeared in the skies of Grandeur relief for the defenders arrived in the form of the Indomitable Golems first and second Stones aboard the Battlebarge, ''Sigismund's Blade, from their location the Space Marines deployed at The Sacred Gates, a grand structure from which all incoming and outgoing materials for the Forge-world's primary forge must pass. With the assistance of an Emperor-Class Titan the Dominus purem ''the Space marines fortified the gates. While the gates could simply be bypassed Namesor Xennion took the marines resistance as a personal affront, and ordered the gates taken. For two and a half weeks the Marine's held the gate, standing defiant and proud while the ''Dominus Purem ''ravaged the ranks of the Estomik. On the final day of the siege after well over two thirds of the planet's population had been captured and enslaved the gate finally fell. Managing to bring their only Fission Induction Cannon near the Titan, the Necron fired the weapon into the largest Titan the weapon class had fired upon to that date. Within seconds the remaining eighty marines still within the gate were burnt away in the blaze of a tremendous star, only the dozen marines who had gone forth to scout that morning surviving the brilliant light that was once their supporting Titan, the gate itself, much to the grief and wrath of the Indomitable Golems, was no more. At the same time in space the Space Marine's battle barge the ''Sigismund's Blade even after two weeks of battling against forces the ship could not possibly overcome continued to fight despite Necron boarders and impossible damages. However though the ship had caused immense damage against the necron, for days now the ship had been ineffectual in the battle, simply struggling to continue against the Necron. Hearing of the fate of The Sacred Gate the final defenders of the vessel, overcome by righteous fury, stormed the engine room of the mighty vessel and overloading the engine rammed their barge into a Harvest-class ship next to Xennion's command vessel. The resulting explosion was enough to force the Namesor's ship to phase-out, without their Namesor the remaining estomik began a hasty retreat only taking enough time to collect whatever salvageable goods that remained which would not simply phase-back to Estomik space. Chapter Culture As a Chapter the Indomitable Golems prefer to distance themselves from other Space Marine Chapters, seeking solitude and quite so that they may meditate in peace. Often The Black Mountain is quiet, save for the cracking of whips and the hum of Pain-Gloves, for as with their Imperial Fists proginatiors, the Indomitable Golems find peace and wisdom in pain. Indomitable Golems are often quiet and proud Astartes, not ones to bicker or fuss over tactics and instead forging iron clad defenses to support their allies. They are famed as cool and collected, even when seething wrath would be appropriate, (though when pushed to wrath, they are terrifying to behold) however their disgust is always audible should something displease them. They are also famed for their intelligence and wisdom, something that one would find at odds with their straight forward and brutal style of combat. They give their often foes a measure of respect, this is often seen with Orks, Necrons, and Craftworld Eldar who have been the Chapters longtime foes and, in the case of Eldar, occasional allies. However, agents of Chaos, Dark Eldar, and especially Tyranids, have nothing but the Chapters contempt. Like many Space Marine Chapters, the Indomitable Golems have been shaped by the planet they call home. Gronn is a harsh planet of endless crags and mountain ranges, mighty valleys and endless chasms. Gronn is a world of extremes, freezing cold during its 36 hour night, and blistering hot during the 24 hour day. What native life exists is famously tough and aggressive, the foremost beast known as the Rock Troll, which stand twenty feet tall at adult age and are strong enough to kill a fully armored Space Marine with its diamond hard claws. Rock Trolls are often tamed by the Indomitable Golems Stoneshapers (Librarians who are mighty Telekinetics) and let loose against the foe. The people of Gronn are just as harsh and belligerent as the world they are cursed to inhabit. The average technological level of Gronn's few cites is just behind the Imperiums, being modern enough to consider these simple people civilized but low enough to ensure that they will never ascend to the stars or use any other weapons save their autoguns. The people of this planet survive by building large fortifications around and within their cities, each and every one a fortress in its own right. This discourages the various beasts native to the planet from making a meal of them. However these fortifications do not work well against the dreaded Rock Trolls, who often gather in small hordes to overwhelm the settlements. Thus armies of militia men are often sent out into the wastes to track down and kill these mighty beasts, particularly the hordes alpha male, before they can amass and overwhelm them. This makes these hardy people ideal recruits for the Indomitable Golems, who are likened unto mythical warrior gods by the people of the planet. The Golems have also adopted the blue runes and stone worshiping rituals of the people of Gronn. The militia men often adorn themselves with various blue runes as homage to the Stone, the literal stone of the planet which often surrounds and protects their homes (in addition to various steel walls and bunkers) The runes are believed to have properties of protection. The Indomitable Golems adopted these practices, for who was any greater constructor of barriers than Rogal Dorn? Thus it was easy for the Chapter to adopt the peoples ways as their own. Though the planet itself is a backwater world in the far Galactic East, the people of this world know of the Imperium and Emperor Worship is taken alongside the native Stone Cult. Recruitment is overseen by a joint team of an Apothecary and a Stonespeaker (Chaplain), who recruit the best warriors of the various militias, only those who have proved themselves to be masters of Gronns beasts and terrain is worthy of becoming one of the Emperor's Own. Unlike many Chapters, the Indomitable Golems do very little in the way of physical tests and weapons training, as the people of Gronn learn quickly and are often in peak physical condition. Instead, the true trials for an Initiate are ones of the mind, mathematics, strategy, and psychological endurance as well as tests of pain tolerance. Once an asperaint is accepted and seeded, he is welcomed into the Chapter in a simple ceremony and feast. The Chapter dose not have Scout Marines in the traditional sense because of their trust in those initiates accepted. Thus proven initiates are immediately made into full Battle-Brothers. However, if later in their careers they show an aptitude for stealth and subtly, they may join the Scout Company. This means that Indomitable Golems Scout Marines are often experienced Battle Brothers. The brothers who instead dedicate themselves to front line combat, but are still considerably young, are known as Novices and often watched over by a senior Battle-Brother. Organisation The Indomitable Golems are divided into bodies known as Stones. Stones are virtually identical to Codex Companies in every way, save that the Golems often prefer the use of aerial vehicles, such as Thunder Hawks and fast attack craft such as Land Speeders and Assault Bikes. This is due to the Chapters creed, as the ordinance carried by most heavier war machines are often too destructive to use without infringing on the Chapters sworn creed to the Stone. The Chapter is led by a Master of the Stone who is equivalent to a Chapter Master and is elected by a conclave of Earls. Each Stone is led by an Earl who holds the same rank as a Codex Captain. Below the Earls are Sergeant and the individual squads the Sergeants command. There are a few unique offices within the Chapter: Master of the Stone The Master of the Stone is the leader of the Chapter, often selected from either the Stonespeakers, the Earls, or Stoneshapers by a conclave of Earls and other Chapter specialists. A Master of the Stone must be a Space Marine possessed of great wisdom and calm, a bastion of will against the chaotic storm that is the Galaxy in the 41st Millienium. He must be a tactician and architect without peer, and his fortifications and battle lines must stand the test of the most mighty and devious foes the Imperium has to face. Masons Techmarines are known as Masons within the Chapter and are responsible for all fortifications and vehicles within the Chapter. Their adherence to the Cult of the Machine is quite strong, as the Machine Cult is very akin to the Stone Cult of the Chapter. Thus ties with the Mechanicus and the Masons are strong, with the Masons being taught thoroughly and some even gaining knowledge of certain secrets of the Machine. As a result, the Chapter as a whole has a strong bond with the Adeptus Mechanicus, and their wargear is finely crafted. Stonespeakers Stonespeakers are mystics that are the equivalent to Codex Chaplains. Stonespeakers invoke the savage nature of their homeworld in battle, carrying Evicorator Chainswords and often commanding a retinue of fanatic Novices. The Stonespeakers carry with them the mighty faith of the Stone Cult, whose battle doctrines have been tried and tested for eons. The Stonespeakers are, like the stone the venerate, hard and severe individuals. Novices under their command are regularly subject to discipline, and even senior Battle Brothers find themselves the target of harsh chiding for irreverent or brash actions. In battle Stonespeakers are living bastions, letting both fire and hordes wash over them, but as the Stone, never breaking under the onslaught. Stoneshapers Stoneshapers are powerful Telekinetics that are the Indomitable Golems equivalent to Codex Librarians. Often, they will tame deadly packs of Rock Trolls to be used by the Chapter as war beasts, thus Stoneshapers may have one of the beasts in tow and two Mystics under his wing. The Stoneshapers may understand other psychic disciplines, but the art of Telekinesis is one considered sacred to the Chapter. With the very force of gravity at their disposal, Stoneshapers can level armies, raise bastions, and churn the earth as if it were water. They are often wise, patient, and unassuming. Like rock they stand strong, but do not impose upon their battle brothers, simply weathering adversity with a simple calm that is commendable. Being possessed of such a clear mind is vital, as the chaotic essences of the Warp cannot be commanded without one. It also makes them reservoirs of wisdom to their fellows, a wellspring of inspiration and knowledge. Novices New Space Marines that forgo scout training as is the mandate of their Chapter, a Novice lacks only discipline and experience. Often they are paired with a Veteran from the 2nd or 1st Stone or a Stonespeaker. Later on a Novice may choose or be recommended to the Scout Company if he has innate skills that are wasted on open combat, but this often happens much later in their lives. Mystics Mystics are Stoneshapers in training, though fully fledged Battle-Brothers they must learn to master the psychic discipline of the Chapters Librarium, Telekinesis. Thus Mystics apprentice in pairs to a Stoneshaper. Tabrin Golems The select few Space Marines who defend the Navigators and holdings of Navigator House Tabrin are hand picked by the Master of the Stone himself and are some of the finest Astartes the Chapter can spare. Unlike other Space Marines, the Indomitable Golems consider the assignment one of great honor and take their duty as seriously as any other mission given to them in the heat of battle. Tabrin Golems often wear the bright red colors of the Tabrin house in the form of robes or sashes, though some even opt to pain their armor with the colors and coat of arms of the house. Tabrin Golems often serve as body guards for the various high profile Navigators of Tabrin while they are on assignment and are often bonded to their charge for life. They can also be seen safeguarding the Tabrins holdings on Terra as well as other branches of the family abroad. Tabrin Golems are die hard defenders of their charges and will sacrifice themselves without question to defend them. Weapons and Tactics The Indomitable Golems are, as with any scions of Dorn, truly immovable defenders and masters of siege warfare. However, the Golems prefer close quarters combat and are quite skilled in hand to hand combat. They are religiously motivated to erect mighty fortifications and defend existing Imperial structures, and thus make some of the Imperiums finest bulwarks against the enemies of man. Often the Indomitable Golems allow the enemy to wash over them, to try to overtake their defenses, while mounting various counter strikes with surgical accuracy, by the time the conflict is over the Indomitable Golems have allowed the foe to impale their forces upon their swords in foolish charges, leaving only a weak remainder to be washed away with blade and bolt. However, they hesitate to destroy Imperial architecture, such as walls and bridges. Though this is less noticeable when they are common constructs such as Hab-Blocks and small villages, when a mighty bastion must be sacrificed or a great bridge destroyed the Indomitable Golems first spend hours praying for the forgiveness of their Primarch and Emperor before the bleak but necessary need is done. The Indomitable Golems are also very adept at combat engineering, often dropping in whole headquarters and bunkers from orbit and defending said structures to the last man. Likewise, Xenos and Heretical constructs are considered and affront to the Stone, Dorn, and the Emperor and to destroy them is to earn Dorns favor and a place at his side. However, while they take a great deal of care with the structures around them, they seem to be rather callous about those who inhabit them. While their surgical precision strikes and assaults keep collateral damage to a minimum, the Indomitable Golems are more than willing to accept hundreds of civillian and allied casualties in order to hold some beautiful cathedral or mighty gate. As a result the Chapter uses few armored vehicles, Dreadnoughts, Thunder Hawks, and Assault Bikes being the only known exceptions. However the Chapters pinpoint accurate orbital bombardments make short work of whatever enemy emplacements stand in their way. The Space Marines of the 1st Stone are specialists in combating Necrons and know much about their ancient foe. They are some of the very best Space Marines when it comes to fighting the soulless legions of undead Necrons. Meanwhile the 2nd Stone are all Ork War Veterans, being specialists in combating the Greenskin menace, however their expertise in combating any Xenos is great in general and their title is more of an honorary title as they combat Orks more than any other foe. Deathwatch Service Indomitable Golems make excellent addition to a Deathwatch Kill-Team due to their level-headedness and experience in combating Xenos threats, especially the Necrons. However their Stone Cult tends to make it difficult for them to integrate into a Kill-Team, as their comrades may find their faith strange. Chapter Fleet Though the Chapter once had many ships at its conception, most were lost during the trials of the Warp Storms, and even more were lost during the infamous Siege of Grandeur. The Chapter has but a few aging Vengeance-Class Cruisers and but one Battle Barge, Dorn's Fist. Regardless, this fleet is nothing to be overlooked, for many of these vessels are battle tested, and have withstood both arcane Necron assaults and daemonic ravages in stride. Relations Add your own, just ask permission! The Inquisition The Indomitable Golems are often called from their homeworld at the request of the Inquisition, however they rarely work with any Ordo save Xenos, and are avid contributors to the Deathwatch. Estomik Dynasty The Indomitable Golems battled with the Necrons of Estomik in the defense of the Sacred Gates of the Forge World of Grandeur. The First and Second Stones both lost significant numbers of marines and the loss of the Battle Barge, Sigismund's Blade, with all hands. However the damage inflicted upon the Estomik Dynasty was more than substantial and in the end it was deemed a wiser choice to abandon the battle than risk the loss of more ships and warriors, as the Indomitable Golems were quite complete in the destruction of their foes. Since that day the First Stone has become the Chapters elite anti-Necron force, battling the ancient evil that is the Estomink Dynasty wherever it dares to rear its head. 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